Hey everyone ive had my bin setup for about a week now (finally) and one thing ive noticed every morning when I check on them. Theres always a few worms (anywere from 2-6) on the sides of my worm bin and near the top. Ive got plenty of 1/8 in holes drilled in near the top of every side. Probably atleast 50-60. So I doubt thats causing it. Is it normal for them to do this or are they hating their new home?
For the 1st month or so I had to keep a light on and a book on their lid so they wouldn't escape on me. The instruction manual that came with mine warned me of this so I wouldn't wake up to a wiggly floor lol. The worm factory people were very informative letting us know they will need to get used to their new home. Good luck and enjoy many years of free very useful waste management =)
Checking on them every morning is entirely too often. Once a week is pushing it but you can skate with that. Worms are the original LITFA animals. Feed them and then check back in a couple of weeks to see if they have cleaned their plate or not. Other than that, just leave them be. Most worm bins are wiped out by loving them to death. Too much water, too much food, and too much attention. It's a hard to develop attitude, I know, but pretty essential. Wet
Hello Halfstoned, Wetdog's advice is spot on. I have been raising worms for over half a decade now and every once in a while, there will be "escapees". When you feed, try to do so in zones. It is best not to spread it out. The worms will go to the food. Also, they seem to reproduce faster when they are more concentrated (gathered up consuming a lump of food). This condition elevates their temperatures which is conducive to their reproduction. Certain foods like melon rinds and mango peels get devoured fairly quickly. The sugars feed the bacteria which break down the food more readily. Banana peels need more time and are excellent feed for your worms. Certain foods like carrot and other roots may need to be fermented first before they are readily available to your worms. Look up Bokashi. They seem to really like foods that have been fermented first. Foods to avoid: Avocado, any citrus, meat and dairy, and any oily or salty scraps. Hope this helps. -PG
Thanks PfefferGeist. Ive recently been letting them do their own thing for the past few days. Although today ill probably feed them since its been a while. Im aware of the bokashi system however I dont got the materials atm. Always glad to here the reasoning behind things so thanks for your input.
I like to blend up all my scraps into a mush and feed the worms that way. They really love it and it can be broken down faster than most foods on there own. It really helps with the moisture as well. I check my bin every 3 days or so and they seem to be doing fine. Just harvested my first gallon of castings. Watermelons are amazing for feeding. Ive learned that a couple lost worms is no biggie. They reproduce at such a fast rate it doesnt matter much !
Good stuff. Thanks for the tips. Im mainly feeding them (aged) horse manure mixed with saw dust and they seem to like it. I usually lightly mist it and layer it under some bedding. Congrats on your first gallon. It will probably be a month before I get that much.. lol.
One might be cautious when using manures. If a deworming medicine was introduced, it can possibly wipe out your entire population. Get a hold of some rock dust too. They benefit from the minerals and it helps digest their food. -PG
The only reasons worms try to escape is if their environmental conditions are off. Dont use plastic, it doesnt breathe well. A wooden container outside or a fabric container inside (worm inn) will provide better conditions than plastic, where leachate or runoff tends to congregate on the bottom, causing worms to climb for the exits.
Thanks for the tips guys but this thread is fairly old now. As we speak my worms seem to be thriving at the moment in their plastic bin. Not one has been caught trying to escape since I first started.